Why We Shouldn't Be Afraid of Spiders I Wild to Know

Want to know more wild facts? Check out our Wild to Know series: • Wild to Know
How many tons of prey does the world’s spider population consume each year? The answer may be a lot more than you’d think! The 45,000 species of spider on the planet typically get a bad rap, with millions of people scared or even terrified of them. But new research suggests this fear may be over the top.
Only a very small number of spiders are venomous or even able to harm humans. But many more have extremely cool skills, from spinning silk that’s stronger than steel, to keeping crops free of pests. Is the media responsible for our misplaced fear of arachnids? We investigate a new study on sensationalism, and learn more about these eight-legged superheroes.
For more fascinating stories about our planet, subscribe to our channel: kzbin.info...
#terramatters #spider #webslinger #creepy
Arachnids are some of the oldest creatures on Earth, and with good reason - they're amazing! We'll even learn a bit about arachnophobia, and why we should try to overcome our fear of spiders. We're going to talk about some of the myths and fake news about spiders and dispel them, as well as dispel some of the myths about spiders that you might have heard.
So whether you're a spider fan or not, this video is sure to interest you!
SCIENTIFIC SOURCES
The global spread of misinformation on spiders - ScienceDirect
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
An expert-curated global database of online newspaper articles on spiders and spider bites | Scientific Data (nature.com)
www.nature.com/articles/s4159...
The weight of nations: an estimation of adult human biomass - PubMed (nih.gov)
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22709...
An estimated 400-800 million tons of prey are annually killed by the global spider community - SpringerLink
link.springer.com/article/10....
Spiders could theoretically eat every human on Earth in one year - The Washington Post
www.washingtonpost.com/news/w...
Why Are We Afraid of Spiders? There Are Two Competing Theories', Alice Robb - The New Republic
newrepublic.com/article/11619...
Dangerous arachnids-Fake news or reality? - ScienceDirect
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
Fear of spiders and snakes is deeply embedded in us | Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (mpg.de)
www.cbs.mpg.de/Fear-of-spider...
Anansi The Spider: What's behind the Name! | About Jamaica (about-jamaica.com)
www.about-jamaica.com/anansi_...
Spider facts - The Australian Museum
australian.museum/learn/anima...
An Update on Fatalities Due to Venomous and Nonvenomous Animals in the United States (2008-2015) - Wilderness & Environmental Medicine (wemjournal.org)
www.wemjournal.org/article/S1...
Do We Really Swallow Spiders in Our Sleep? | Britannica
www.britannica.com/story/do-w...
Lisa Birgit Holst | Snopes.com
www.snopes.com/lisa-birgit-ho...
How Many Die Each Year From Spider Bites? The Answer May Shock You. - Pest Control Everything
pestcontroleverything.com/blo...
Spiders Can Travel Across Oceans Like Ships, Scientists Say | Sci.News
www.sci.news/biology/science-...
Jumping spiders: Facts about the cutest arachnids on the planet | Live Science
www.livescience.com/jumping-s...
Spider silk is five times stronger than steel-now, scientists know why | Science | AAAS
www.science.org/content/artic...
Spiders, facts and information (nationalgeographic.com)
www.nationalgeographic.com/an...
14 incredible spider facts | BBC Wildlife magazine | Discover Wildlife
www.discoverwildlife.com/anim...

[@elisamf]

Hey friends, so what’s going to be your reaction next time you see a spider? Do you think they deserve a second chance? 🕷🖤 Here's another misunderstood species of the animal world: Cassowary, aka the dinosaur-bird: kzbin.info/www/bejne/boqpoZVvorB2o9E

[@merrickhurst4150]

Still gonna scream until either it or I die.

[@terramater]

Oh no! 😅

[@corvespid4925]

I usually only kill spiders in my home if they end up proliferating so much that I don't really feel like I can sit without encountering one. Otherwise, I generally just leave them alone, especially in the cellar, where I don't really feel them bothering me. Then again, spiders only scare me if I'm walking out of a room and it's a medium-large sized one dangling down from the ceiling in front of my face. At that point, I haven't had time to react, and combine that with the general spider shape, and I usually let out a surprised "WHOA", before returning to my normal self. In the garden, I relocate spiders to my kale plants. Combined with the wasps I leave alone around those plants, and the result is that I had no cabbage worms to worry about last year.

[@rjung_ch]

@@merrickhurst4150 🤣🤣🤣

[@rjung_ch]

I like them, I let them eat the bugs rather than I do it. Win - Win!

[@Noam-Bahar]

One morning I woke up and found a jumping spider on the wall near my bed. Upon a closer look, I noticed it had a freaking MOSQUITO in its mouth. Since then I have made a peace agreement with spiders!

[@terramater]

Hi Noam! Well done!!

[@quantumblur_3145]

Sometimes you gotta see proof

[@faay8912]

How do you know that wasn’t a threat that you’re next

[@Is_This_Really_Necessary]

I work in the Bug's Alive exhibit at Melbourne Museum. It always amazes me at how little people know about and let alone understand arthropods.

[@terramater]

Hi Andrew, yes, absolutely!

[@petrairene]

The chicken held up to the wall to eat the spider was hilarious!

[@zacharyjackson7584]

Yep. I have some chickens and have never thought of that. But they would leap at any opportunity to eat a spider

[@terramater]

Right?! People can get so creative 😂😂

[@nepenthesBicalcarata5666]

When me and my kids find bold jumper spiders hanging around inside or outside our house we let them drink drops of water from our hands. It’s a really cool experience for anyone willing to try.

[@terramater]

That's so nice of you!!!

[@nutzeeer]

Funfact: jumping spiders have been scientifically proven to dream. They are smart.

[@quantumblur_3145]

Careful, chlorinated tapwater is bad for arthropods! Try filtered water

[@iilikecereal]

Honestly I hope I can lose my fear of spiders some day, I do find them to be beautiful and sometimes cute from a distance so that's a good starting point. Even the dangerous ones are no different from most other dangerous animals, where they will leave you alone for the most part as long as you leave them be and show them due respect. Like I know in my head that they're mostly harmless, even beneficial, but I have a very visceral reaction to them that's hard to shake.

[@terramater]

But let's do it steo by step, you already learned how to appreciate them, maybe one day your reaction will also change 🙌

[@catnip6731]

my exact thoughts. i know they’re beautiful innocent creatures but i can’t help my fight or flight reaction to them 😭

[@CheePufStudios]

If you get over the eight legs spiders have than they look quite cute. They have big black eyes like a dog and funny little mouths. They are such stupid creatures.

[@brycekirkham6896]

I genuinely really love spiders! Really interesting to learn about and i find their uniqueness really intriguing as well. Plus, they are useful and get rid of really annoying things like flies or mosquitoes!

[@terramater]

Hi Bryce! They are fascinating, right?! We hope with this video, people will start to appreciate them a little more 🤗

[@brycekirkham6896]

@@terramater I hope so too! They're great little creatures

[@YujiroHanmaIsReal]

also they are badass looking as well

[@brycekirkham6896]

@@YujiroHanmaIsReal absolutely

[@rkrishna174]

Used to play spider fighting those days. Cruel, when I think back

[@elisamf]

Yeah 😅

[@Aj747]

That blowtorch dude burning his house down over a spider lmao

[@terramater]

Right?! And then the firefighter “this was probably a bad idea to do so” 🤣

[@Bagelgeuse]

I've seen ppl joke about burning their houses down over spiders, but I didn't think someone would actually do it. ☠️

[@willi4ms]

I’m laying on the couch of my living room right now because there’s a huge spider in my room and I literally cannot stand to sleep there, so I’ve been watching this kind of videos for the past hour to calm down- just felt like sharing this lol

[@terramater]

Oh No, William! Did you manage to go back to bed? The spider will literary just ignore you, don't worry!

[@willi4ms]

@@terramater yes, my cat ended up killing her (I didn’t really want the spider to die but at least I have my room back)

[@terramater]

Cats 😂😂

[@brandonijames2784]

Hold on tho. For whatever reason despite being able to hold a spider, if I see it in my room, to get it outside and aways from me, still I would be frightened to sleep in my room even understanding that they're more likely to ignore me. I think it's the possibility that without my knowing I do something that causes one to bite. And maybe the small chance that they are venomous.

[@quantumblur_3145]

I'm just scared of spiders or other creatures in my room because I'm scared of accidentally squishing and killing them, the perils of being a giant

[@jesusgabrielcarmonamedina1597]

It's very telling that even Spiderman is not enough to mitigate our irrational fear of spiders.

[@terramater]

True that!

[@quantumblur_3145]

Probably because there's not much spider about em

[@devinsmith4790]

I mean there is of course nothing wrong with being cautious around spiders, especially if you don't know if it's a species that could be venomous. Really though any that do bit is just doing so out of defense considering we humans are way bigger and can viewed to them as potential predators.

[@terramater]

Hi Devin! But let's think about it, only 0.5% of spider's species are venomous, and in some countries, like the UK, for example, you don't even find them. 😄

[@avatarkhali8673]

@@terramater haha, if only one would recall that probability in that split second reaction. In a controlled environment with safety assurances, I bet a good number would be able to drop the panic and even handle a spider. Also, in many parts of the world like Africa, where there is often insufficient research on local species, you just have no way of knowing what species you're dealing with. That said, in my culture, spiders are viewed a lot more positively. There's a recurring funny spider-named character in many of our folk tales. Unlike the cold-blooded assassin persona they take on in modern media.

[@Lonelymariner99]

Now I need a cute chicken in my home named Vulture.😂

[@Felix-qq6sx]

I kinda like spiders, because they eat mosquitoes and flies which I hate about as passionately as many people hate spiders. I do not feel empathy towards them in the way I feel empathy towards mammals, just because they are so different than me.

[@quantumblur_3145]

Huh, my empathy works different. Every critter is just a fella to me

[@TheNewYear75]

great info! vid was a bit over-produced for my taste, but awesome info and definitely engaging

[@terramater]

Thanks for the feedback and for watching it!

[@TheNewYear75]

@@terramater absolutely!!

[@Felix-qq6sx]

I think it makes perfect sense that there are not as many sensational anti-spider news stories in Australia. If you are in actual risk of being bitten by a toxic spider, the article "Spiders have killed a tourist." is way less helpful than the article "Safety measures to avoid toxic spiders." or "These 10 household tips can help you if you have an aching spider bite." And since you grow up with this natural risk, these articles are more likely children's books. Being raised that way would also mean you could spot sensationalist articles way more easily, because they lack the knowlegde common to you.

[@terramater]

Hi Felix! It makes totally sense! Thanks for the inputs and for watching it!

[@quantumblur_3145]

Sensationalism will always work because there's a sucker born every minute

[@glasslakes]

jumping Spiders are my favorite arthropods. they clean your house and look super cute.

[@terramater]

They are so cute! 🕷️🖤

[@letsomethingshine]

"I come in peace... to nest in the safety of your ears!" LOLs

[@terramater]

😂

[@user-cv8ui5ir2d]

As someone suffering from arachnophobia, I really enjoyed this video. Made me appreciate what spiders actually do for us, humans. And then I visited the nearest spider exhibition and even held a female tarantula! She was kinda cute, and allowed me to pet her.

[@terramater]

We're so happy about it! Thanks for watching our videos! ❤️🕷️

[@crestofhonor2349]

I’ve never minded house spiders. Sometimes I do watch them go about and do their daily activities

[@terramater]

That's quite cool to observe, right?! 🖤🕷️

[@stevebennett9839]

Thank you Terra Mater for shedding light and telling the true facts, this channel never disappoints. I will say the movie Arachnophobia scared the hell out of me when I was lil. Now I just let spiders be and do their thing.

[@terramater]

Hi Steve! That's great to hear! Yesss, Arachnophobia was absolutely not fair when it comes to spiders, but good that we can now learn that they are actually friends and not enemies 🕷️🖤

[@IHeartPooks]

I am no longer afraid to sleep when a spider is in my room now.

[@terramater]

That’s great to hear!

[@ilikeminecraftgaming9331]

I love jumping spiders sm, I made friends with one today in my backyard,it was just chilling on the fence near the gate and I interacted with it by tapping the fence.Still need to work on my fear of other spiders though.

[@terramater]

They are sooo cool! We totally get you, but if you keep on building friendship with spiders, the fear will soon go away 🖤🕷️

[@Bagelgeuse]

I'm fine with spiders under a certain size, then they're free to live in the house as long as they stay away. We even had one nestled in our bathroom window for the winter. Jumping spiders are chill though. I tried the mirror test on one; it didn't pass.

[@terramater]

Yes, and in the end they keep their distance, so this makes things easier for us! We're sorry to hear it didn't pass the mirror test 🥹

[@quantumblur_3145]

Maybe it was bored or freaked out that you put it up to a mirror or any of the preceding steps. Actual experimental conditions would acclimate it first and control for its responses to other stimuli

[@camillaaries7823]

This just made me Even more scarry

[@runalaila4272]

How cute this animal is

[@terramater]

Spiders are cute!

[@ariaxua]

I live in europe where there is no poisonus spiders. However i grew up fearing them, I just cant stand looking at them. They terrify me, their movements, everything. I know theyre good, eat flies and such and i try to not harm them but i just grew up having nightmares about them and... ugh... still when i see one i freeze

[@terramater]

We totally understand you! The important thing is that you know that they are good!

[@quantumblur_3145]

Did you perchance consume media that emphasizes those movements as sources of horror - do you think of scuttling noises when thinking about them, despite the fact those noises are only ever in documentaries/media with bad Foley work?

[@SnoopyDoofie]

Number of people in the US who die from a spider bite each year: 6 Number of people in the US bitten by a spider each year: 6

[@terramater]

😅

[@youcantalwaysgetwhatyouwan6687]

i can’t touch or hold a huge spider even though it won’t bite me

[@terramater]

We can totally understand that 😅

[@avatarkhali8673]

Even knowing that they pose no threat, there's something about that magic number of legs and way they move. Insects, no big deal. Millipedes, with a little mental prep, also fine. Jumping spiders, cool. But the moment you've got a big flat spider shuffling about, even looking at them from a distance raises your hairs. Or those brightly colored orb weavers with alternating yellow-black legs.

[@terramater]

It's def not easy to look at them, we would need to get use to it! 😅

[@blunzengrostl5899]

Nice video! and for all others viewers - Disclaimer! Spiders inside! ;)

[@terramater]

🕷️🖤

[@Stuffthatsfunny1]

I always think id rather have 1 spider in my room than 20 flys

[@terramater]

Omg, absolutely!!

[@angels-with-talons]

my favourite animal 🖤

[@terramater]

They’re so cool!!

[@ronaldtaylor8326]

Ain't scared of Spiders but Rats are a whole different story😭😭

[@terramater]

Hi Ronald! But rats are much bigger than spiders, so we get you!

[@IStoleUrBaguette]

me sees spider:''tries to keep a 2mm distance between it and the nose'' my mom:''DOOM MUSIC STARTS PLAYING''

[@terramater]

just like a movie 😂

[@katz57]

Think about spiders eating all the roaches in your apartment. That is what they did for me when I moved into an apartment in Brooklyn. And that was only two of them, I didn’t have to pay them and yes they were wolf spiders.

[@terramater]

Spiders are awesome!

[@mbnqpl]

I need that chicken 😅

[@terramater]

😂😂😂

[@aviel4218]

Spiders are helpful but it is okay for them to get killed as long as it gets killed by an animal that eats spiders but keep using that chicken and I'm sure the mosquito population in your house will skyrocket😂😂😂😂😂

[@kokorino7682]

This reminds me when I was a waiter and a karen was hitting a bumblebee with the menu (while she was sat NEXT TO THE FLOWERS) saying "I don't care ! I don't want any creepy crawlies bothering me when I eat ! ". The entitlement . I can't have any empathy for these ppl . They really need to spend some time in nature and touch some fxin grass .

[@terramater]

Nooo, bumblebees are so cute!

[@mrapistevist]

I like spiders, they help keep my living space free of other obnoxious things. And they're small, don't need a whole lot of room and they don't use the bathroom. 🙂

[@terramater]

Best flatmates!

[@jackschmit4696]

Look, I know that spiders are actually helpful. But a single spider web in the face as a child is all it takes to tramatize you for life.

[@terramater]

Hi Jack! We can understand that 😅

[@syn4441]

👍

[@thetoycollectorofseville6428]

I'm not afraid of spiders. The ones I see are the ones that spin webs out in nature where they are supposed to be, sit next to little ladies eating curds and waigh, and climb up and down water spouts.

[@terramater]

They are so cool!

[@jasonlinton9950]

Did you know that throughout your lifetime, 8-10 spiders will crawl down your throat while you’re sleeping? 😧😲😬MWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

[@jbielic4067]

Little super hero pest control buddies.

[@terramater]

Yesss 🦸

[@x13xmonkey]

I always have a spider in two corners of my house where their is light and I never have any mosquitos or flies that live more than a few hours, they are my little guardians.

[@terramater]

Here you go! They really come in peace 🖤🕷️

[@YujiroHanmaIsReal]

spiders are literally keeping other bugs and stuff out that would try to hurt you or annoy you or whatever

[@StickGeezer]

Jesus Christ man I have arachnophobia and fucking jumped at the thumbnail😭

[@terramater]

😂 but did you watch the video?

[@StickGeezer]

@@terramater with my eyes closed yeah 😂

[@terramater]

Like a podcast 😂

[@zacharyjackson7584]

Go Chicken!!!!

[@terramater]

😂😂😂 people can be so creative!

[@timg2655]

I can't watch this video it's too scary 🥶🕷️

[@terramater]

Oh no, Tim, it's actually gonna help you to work on your fear! 🤗

[@cherilynnfisher5658]

I LOVE SPIDERS!

[@terramater]

They're the best! 🕷️

[@yae__mik0]

there is a spider in my room but i am very scared but i am choosing to ignore it and let it stay in exchange for it killing a fly that was harassing me for 30 minutes

[@terramater]

That's fair enough! Did it work?

[@pabloquijadasalazar7507]

I stopped killing a bunch of bugs in the house. There’s not more bugs. I do see the same few spiders, and one hairy millipede bug, over & over. I’ve concluded that by letting them live, I don’t have to deal with the other bugs that become their dinner. Win win.

[@terramater]

Exactly, they are actually helping you out!

[@kevdimo6459]

I’ve been in trenches with Funnel Web Spiders, it’s not fun but if they’ve got four eyes then I’ll have just as many watching them. 👀👀👀👀

[@terramater]

🤣

[@JesusMartinez-rr2ry]

If you still have arachnophobia, I recommend you watch Lucas the Spider as free therapy.

[@terramater]

Good tip!

[@terrigordi4270]

Spiders are wonderful creatures..... I like them. I do not kill spiders....

[@dreadblock7592]

I'll say it now and as many times as i have to, i would still rather fight a demon then ever be near spiders bigger then a third of my finger print size.

[@terramater]

😂😂😂

[@sharktailmusictm2536]

Sorry for my bad English.

[@joshual2704]

I keep a Mexican red rump tarantula

[@terramater]

Hi Joshua! As a pet?

[@thekaizendiary]

I was afraid of spiders because i didn't want to become Spiderman. 🌚

[@terramater]

You don’t want to be a super hero? We understand, saving the world is too much pressure to one single person 😂

[@thekaizendiary]

Hehe, saving the world seems like quicksand. Let's just save our souls, and in the process as we see each soul saved, the world is saved automatically.

[@thekaizendiary]

Actually my fear of spiders stems from the anxious feeling when they climb our hairy limbs.. i feel it's not limited to spiders but others too like cockroaches, moths, ants, bedbugs...

[@blinddeadmcjones5255]

I don't care if theyre all saints, I hate every spider that ever lived and wish they would all join the heavens gate cult

[@dumpanimator]

I am not really that scared for little spider But over sized spider on video game oh my Anyway spider is harmless mostly just like fox and dogs they will not consume you

[@terramater]

They come in peace ✌️

[@onlyme219]

Well, I am. I see one I kill it, works for me 👍 I killed one last year on my wall with hairspray, It's still there to this day as a warning to other spiders

[@terramater]

😮

[@onlyme219]

@@terramater It's a true story, I'm sorry but rightly or wrongly I'm afraid of spiders, I will kill them and won't change my view, Great video though :)

[@catoristocklin]

I couldnt even watch the intro

[@terramater]

Oh no! Give it a try! :D

[@ksbear2]

Unfortunately, being bitten by a poisonous spider does have consequences (says one who was bitten by a brown recluse spider once.) Antibiotics and steroids were needed.

[@terramater]

We're sorry to hear that! Where did this happen? Are you fine now?

[@florinadrian5174]

I would not dwell on the statistics of arachnophobia in the UK. Those scaredy cats are also afraid of a few desperate refugees in small boats.

[@C-Rex1]

Sadly true. Makes me ashamed to be British.

[@rfosco9271]

Pro-spider propaganda

[@terramater]

Vote for spiders